rv swaying from tractor trailer going by me

tanman32225 wrote:
I dont know if its normal but my 5er does the same.

That is interesting. There is absolutely no detectable affect with our 5er when passing a tractor trailer in any direction at any speed. It is rock solid.

What specific tire is on it? They can contribute _significantly_ to wind sway.

BTW, for those who are saying it's 'normal', I can only say that both my former '02 Roadtrek on a Chevy Express 3500 and my current 19' foot Tiger CX, both SRW's, had and have _no_ response to truck wind. I can hold the wheel with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand and not have one iota of movement as a truck passes.

Jim, "I hate it when you offer someone a sincere compliment on their mustache, and suddenly she's not your friend anymore."

wgander wrote:
OP isn't towing anything. He's driving a Class C.

Oops, missed that important tid-bit of info. Please disregard, thanks.

OP isn't towing anything. He's driving a Class C.

Improper tongue weight can certainly aggravate (and possibly cause) the OP's situation. IMO, the OP should first determine his current tongue weight, correct if necessary, then pursue all other possible corrective actions (lift, air bags, anti-sway, etc.)

When a passing 18 wheeler's bow wave hits the left back corner of your coach "box", it gets pushed toward the right, which causes the front to sway toward the left, and you have to correct by steering to the right. Then, as the truck moves forward in relation to your MH, the bow wave eventually pushes the front to the right, and you have to correct by steering left.

The amount of lateral movement between your "box" and your axles determines how much push and reaction you have to correct for with your steering. Reducing this lateral movement with a Trak (Panhard) bar on each axle will reduce your sideways sway and your steering problems.

It's normal.
Your tires might be overinflated for your weight, but that would have more affect on the comfort of your ride than on the swaying.
80 PSI max refers to the maximum air pressure for the maximum load the tire is designed for. Unless you are at maximum weight, you don't need 80 PSI.

This is normal. What you've got to remember is that a truck (jsut like our RVs) has a lot of surface area that is cutting through the air. As that truck is moving down the road the air has to be displaced somewhere... and that somewhere is to the sides of it.

(As an example of this, fill your kitchen sink with a few inches of water and then take your hand and move it through the water. The water will flow on either side of your hand as you move it. The faster your hand moves the more water is pushed to the side.)

What you're feeling is the air being displaced by the front of the truck and pushing on the side of your RV.

Hopefully I've explained it so it makes sense. :h


Doug

If it's just a little push then, yes, that's normal. I get a little from semi's going the opposite direction and none from them going the same direction although I rarely get passed by a semi going the same direction (their speed limit is lower than mine in CA).

Make sure no one passes you.